Florian Jozefzoon believes that the Championship is not a step down from the Eredivisie and believes Brentford could finish high up in the Dutch top flight.

The Dutchman joined the Bees just under a year ago from PSV Eindhoven and has become a first team regular at Griffin Park.

Many look down their nose at the second tier of English football, believing it is a physical division but that tide is slowly changing and Jozefzoon sang the virtues of the Championship.

He told Dutch website Voetbal Zone: "Yes, I think so very much, there are so many teams that try to play football here, the lesser teams go for the second ball, of course, but there are many clubs that want to play football.

“I also think that this competition is underestimated. this competition may change often, but it is just a good competition."

Florian Jozefzoon (Image: Paul Burgman)

He added: "Certainly, it is no less than the Eredivisie, I do not dare to say exactly which places we would be competing in the Eredivisie, but we could end up high with Brentford, but the results so far have not been enough, but we have a really good group that can compete for a place in the top five, both in the Eredivisie and here in the Championship. "

Jozefzoon has settled in west London and, while he finds it hard to name a highlight of the past year, the fact he feels an important part of the side resonates with him.

The winger added: "Of course I needed the time to adapt, it's a different competition, a different language, a different style of playing and a different diet, you're also away from your family, it's no longer an hour's drive to Amsterdam, but you have to go by plane.

“My daughter lives in the Netherlands, but fortunately she often comes along, in the beginning you are in a hotel, you look for a house and then you have to arrange everything again.

“I've picked it up well and made the best of it, a highlight of 2017 is hard to name, because I'm not ready yet, I score from free kicks and I'm important to the group.

“I feel a lot of confidence from the trainer and I feel like I am an important player, which I hear every day."

The dream for Jozefzoon is promotion to the Premier League and he is driven to reach the highest level.

He explained: "That's what I've been dreaming of since I've come here, or at least dreaming: it's more of a goal to play there, it would be crazy if I said that I'm already happy.

“You always want to go higher and you always want the best Get yourself in. Anything is possible: I could play with Brentford or with another club in the Premier League, in England it's very fast, a coach from another club just has to sit in you and you can already be gone.

“Whether I'm interested in me, I can not say anything about that, it would be strange if I put the club in that position."